âYou really wonât take it?â Ye Xiaoyu was surprised. Were there really people who did not love money?
Professor Liu didnât have time to answer before a nurse stepped out, reporting that the patient had regained consciousness. But, she seemed to be in an abnormal state, so they required the immediate presence of her family members.
The ventilator was already removed, and Ye Xiaowei, who had just returned from the brink of death, didnât show any emotional fluctuations that a normal person would in these circumstances. The process of stomach washing is very painful, especially when consuming sleeping pills to commit suicide, which is one of the most uncomfortable ways to die. She should be in a great deal of pain now, but she had no reaction. She just stared blankly at the ceiling.
It was as if she didnât belong to this world.
âYoung people these days, ready to give up at the slightest difficulty, what is so unbearable? Normal people think overdosing sleeping pills is the least painful way to die, that is nonsense! Sleeping pills make one feel like theyâre experiencing seasickness 10 times worse. Your consciousness is blurred, but you can still feel pain everywhere in your body, including internal organs. Dying is not that easy. If you can live well, then donât think about these messy thingsâââ
An older nurse was nagging as she spoke to her in the ICU.
Xiao Qian and Professor Liu simultaneously frowned.
âShut up!â Xiao Qian reprimanded.
The old nurse, full of a strong sense of mission, was unconvinced even after being reprimanded by Xiao Qian.
âDid I say anything wrong?â
âWho would willingly do such a thing if they could live well? You know nothing! Do your job instead of giving her your life lessons. You are not her and you have no idea how she feels.â
For patients with moderate to severe depression, they too desperately want to continue living, but the suffering it brings is simply too unbearable. Accusation from others would only increase their feelings of guilt and have no beneficial impact on their condition at all.
Upon hearing Xiao Qianâs voice, the previously emotionless Xiaowei puts in huge effort to turn her head to see. But her body feels heavy, as if sheâs trapped in quicksand, unable to move. She wanted to speak, but couldnât make a sound since the side effects of the medication she took for suicide usually last for one or two days before she could talk again.
Noticing her attention, Xiao Qian quickly approached, holding her hand with one hand and gently stroked her forehead with the other, letting her feel the warmth of her hand.
âWeiwei, hi, Iâm your sister Meiwei. I came to see you.â
Weiweiâs gaze slowly shifted from being unfocused to focusing on Xiao Qian. She wanted to know if this was a hallucination.
At this moment, her body seems to be floating in the air, everything around her functioning in slow motion. However, the beautiful young woman in front of her brought a splash of color to her world.
She opened her eyes wide and tried hard to see â was this really Meiwei, the voice sheâd only ever heard on the radio?
âItâs me. Donât think about anything right now. Iâm here, and nothing is going to take you away from me. I understand that you are suffering right now, that you donât want to feel this way but canât help it. Itâs okay, just rest for now. When you regain your strength, I will help you. Your heart caught a bit of a cold, I can treat it. Donât be afraid, just rest, now be a good girl⦠â
Holding Weiweiâs hand, Xiao Qian could feel the weak grip of the young girl who had just regained consciousness trying to hold on to her hand. This small sign of strength made Xiao Qian understand that she was this childâs last hope for survival.
Weiwei wanted to express something, but couldnât say anything. Tears flowed uncontrollably from the corner of her eyes. Xiao Qian gently wiped them away for her.
âDonât be afraid, or upset, I understand how youâre feeling, I understand your pain. Itâs okay, I can cure you.â
This scene deeply moved Professor Liu and Ye Xiaoyu.
They could sense the trust that a girl in utter despair had in Xiao Qian.
They were meeting for the first time.
However, Xiao Qianâs voice had accompanied Weiwei through many nights. Weiwei had been trying to understand societal emotions and integrate with society by listening to her programs, trying to disguise herself more like a normal person.
But she was not able to find the normal emotions she sought in the programs. However, she developed a liking for Xiao Qian. Compared to what normal people might feel, this liking was very faint. But for a depression patient, being able to find something they like is extremely hard.
Patients who donât see a reason to live often donât have anything they like, but that doesnât mean they donât need care and understanding. Itâs just that ordinary people often struggle to express their care in a way that suits the patient. Sometimes, the care shown by their family can even become a burden on the patient.
Meiwei, an idol who seemed untouchable and out of reach, suddenly appearing beside a young girl who had lost all hope for the world, brought a glimmer of hope to Weiwei, but also added to Xiao Qianâs burden.
âGo to sleep, Iâm here with you.â Xiao Qian stood beside her bed, holding her hand until she fell asleep.
When she turned around, she only saw Ye Xiaoyu and Professor Liu; her nominal parents had run off to discuss expenses with the doctor.
âDo you see now? Apart from Xiao Qian, this child is unlikely to accept treatment from any other therapist,â said Professor Liu to Ye Xiaoyu.
âAre you sure you can save my sister?â Ye Xiaoyu was frightened by the uncharacteristic look on her sisterâs face just then.
This was not the cheerful little girl she remembered. The impression she got from the girl on the bed was that she had already died, and it was only after seeing Xiao Qian that she showed a hint of life. However, even someone like Ye Xiaoyu, who didnât understand psychology, could see that her sister had almost lost all will to live.
âLetâs go outside to talk.â
Once in the hallway, Professor Liu stood beside Xiao Qian, while Ye Xiaoyu folded her arms across her chest, a defensive and distrusting gesture.
She didnât trust Meiwei, but it seemed that now, aside from Meiwei, there was really no one else who could save Weiwei.
âI must tell you objectively, there are many types of depression, and each case varies. Causes also vary. But regardless of the type, we must be prepared to fight a long battle. To give you an example, we are now playing tug of war, and Weiwei is standing in the middle of the rope. On one side are doctors like me and the family members like you, on the other side is the God of Death. If we lose the tug of war, you can imagine the consequencesâ¦â
âSheâs only 15, how could this happen!â Ye Xiaoyu just couldnât believe it.
âEven preschool children can suffer from mental illnesses, it has nothing to do with age. Let her stay in the hospital for observation for a few days. Once her physical condition is out of danger, weâll ask for a psychiatrist to prescribe medication. Just psychological intervention alone wonât be enough, she must also be medicated.â
âWill my sister end up with a mental illness?â The term psych ward sounded terrifying to Ye Xiaoyu, making her immediately think of the word âmadmanâ.
âWhat you need to think about now is how to snatch your sister back from the hands of the God of Death, not these things.â Xiao Qian was in the middle of explaining her condition to her, when she heard a commotion nearby and looked up. Weiweiâs foster mother was arguing with the doctor.
She vaguely heard a few words such as âmoneyâ, âripping us offâ, âI know what youâre up toâ¦â
Xiao Qian sighed, thinking of an important factor.
âYe Xiaoyu, do you live alone?â